Automatic test equipment (“ATE”) has been known in the art for several years. Automating the testing procedures for circuit boards and electronic devices expedites the testing process and allows for greater production of tested electronic devices. When testing an instrument, a probe card or wafer interface is attached to a test head. A probe then docks with the test head through the probe interface using methods well known in the art. The probe interface contains a probe interface board (“PIB”) and a probe card. The probe card makes an electrical connection to the PIB through a series of pogo pin, or spring pin, arrangements, typically in the form of a ring. The pogo pin arrangements are limited to 4650 pins per probe card. The PIB is a printed circuit board (“PCB”) or a printed wiring board (“PWB”) that is pre-designed and manufactured specifically for the instrument to be tested and the test that is to be run. The use of the pogo pin arrangements creates limitations in the accuracy and breadth of the testing capabilities of ATE. The pogo pin configuration is not able to accommodate the full performance capability of the device being tested and can yield unreliable results. Signal transmission though the pogo pin connections is subject to interference and distortion, which can effect test results in the automated environment.
Additionally, to enable different instruments or configurations to be tested, a new PIB and probe card are required with a different circuitry design on the boards. The requirement of producing new boards for every configuration drastically increases the cost of testing and producing electrical devices. The replacement of the PIB and the probe card in the probe card interface is time consuming and expensive.